In today's economic climate people often regard it as a luxury to study language and literature, but they overlook a numer of very important factors.

German is one of the major European languages, being spoken very widely as a first and second language, or as a language of business throughout Europe. Germany itself is gaining influence in Europe since the opening up of Eastern Europe and the expansion of the European Union.

Because it belongs to the same language family as English it is easier for English-speakers to learn than many other languages. If you have not learnt a language before, it is a very good first foreign language. German culture has contributed greatly to the development of literature, science, philosophy, music and the visual arts in the English-speaking world, so that the study of German enhances the study of many other disiplines.

New Zealanders are associating increasingly with German speakers, since Germans, like New Zealanders, are inveterate travellers. Germans stay longer in New Zealand, travel more widely and spend more money here than any other tourist group. The need for German in the tourist sector and the opportunity to use it are growing rapidly.

• foreign language communication skills oral and written
• awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences
• adventurous nature
• initiative
• in-depth knowledge of a foreign culture through exposure to its literature, history and current events
• research skills (greatly strengthened by doing an honours course):
  • searching and finding information, using libraries
  • assembling of information, analysis and weighing up of issues
  • writing skills: reports, analyses, assessments, arguing a case with reference to given criteria
  • communication skills:
    • presentation of researched material in oral or written form
    • ability to argue, reason and debate
  • human relations skills:
    • awareness of human problems through exposure to a wide range of human problems and life issues in literary form
    • development of sensitivity and judgement

Graduates in German take up careers in many areas of the public and private sector: export, tourism, teaching, television, journalism, administration, librarianship, publicity, training and development, Foreign and Internal Affairs, Translation Services etc. Many students broaden their base by combining a degree in German with another degree, such as Commerce or Law. Within the Division of Commerce at Otago there are now a number of options which are enhanced by knowledge of a foreign language. There are undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Tourism, and there is a new major in International Business Studies, within which foreign language and culture courses form an integral part.

Most students dream of the possibility of travelling abroad and being able to study in the country whose language they have been learning. Opportunities are there, and many Otago students of German have made the most of them. But it pays to plan ahead, since there are costs involved in terms of time and money.

A growing trend among Otago students is to spend a period on exchange at an overseas university and there gain credit toward their Otago degree. The German Department allows students who gain credit for a course done at a German university to credit it to their degree here. To arrange a study abroad programme independently requires considerable initiative on the part of the student, but selection for the exchange programme Otago has with Heidelberg, Paderborn and Oldenburg Universities makes it much easier. Exchange students also receive some financial aid from Otago University.

A further alternative is to gain a scholarship. The scholarship which has been by far the most frequently used by Otago students of German is the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Semester Scholarship. Students apply for this in the year before their final year of study. If successful they are able to spend one semester at a German university of their choice the following year. The scholarship is generous, and covers living costs and most of the travel costs. Because the German semesters do not coincide with our university year it usually means that students spend the remainder of that year either earning money or travelling, and then complete their degree here the following year. Because of the costs implicit in travel and lengthening one's course of study by a year it is important to plan ahead financially. Many of our students have successfully followed this route.

There are a number of different scholarships offered by the German, Austrian and Swiss governments to New Zealand students. Most are for postgraduate study, i.e. for the equivalent of a PhD. degree. Generally speaking, a first-class honours degree is the prerequisite for the award of one of these. The scholarships are generous in monetary terms, so taking one up is really a question of planning one's academic future and acquiring the necessary grades. A surprising number of Otago graduates have successfully followed this path. The PhD degree can lead to a career in many different fields, which may or may not be directly related to the discipline of German.

These are available on a competitive basis for graduates interested in a teaching career. See the Head of Department or click on the following link for further information:

Closing dates for next year's application are 01/02/2004 with the German Embassy in Wellington.

The DAAD also funds a short-term scholarship, the Deutschlandkundlicher Winterkurs, which is designed for students majoring in other subjects, such as History, Politics, Law or Business, (and even Medicine), but who have taken at least two years German at university. Holders of the scholarship spend two months at the University of Freiburg or the University of Essen during our summer vacation. They take part in language classes, are given lectures on German culture and institutions and are taken on a variety of excursions, including one to Berlin.

The availability of awards for postgraduate study in Germany in other subjects also usually depends on having some prior knowledge of German. A pass in the beginner's course (GERM 131 and 132) is usually adequate as a basis for such awards. The Zertifikat Deutsch is also useful evidence of the ability to cope with living in a German environment.